Phonograph-repeater.



' R: G. BROWN AND 1, E. smrsuvuiffzl PHoNoGH/PH REPEMER. Y v APPUCAHON FILED ri. s, |9114 1,322,286. Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I`:

#MWL @Honing PHONOGRAPH HEPEATER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9\ I9I7.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

(7 um whoa UNITED STATES PATENT oEEroE.

i ROBERT G. BROWN, 0F SWABTHMORE, PENNSYLVANIA, AND JOHN E. STRIETELMEIER,

OF CINCINNATI, OHIO; SAID BROWN ASSIGNOR T0 SAID STRIETELKEIER.

rHoNoGRAPH-aarnimmah Application led February 9, 1917. A Serial No. 147,530.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT BROWN and JOHN E. STRIETELMEIER, both citlzens of Athe United States, and residing at Swarth- Specification of Letters Patent.

' fixed to a Victor machine.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

been annexed as aIv and in such drawings, like characters of referen'ce denote corresponding parts throughout all the views of which:

Figure 1 is a plan showing the device af- Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan with the cover 'broken away'to expose the interior arrangements. Fig. et is a side elevation with the side-Walls similarly broken away. Fig, 5 shows the device provided with a modified enabling phonograph records to be autolifting-arm ada ting it to Columbia mamatically rev-played any desired number of chines. Fig. .6 s ows another modified lifttimes and then to stop the running of the lng arm, while Fig. 7 shows still another machine; and it more especially contemplates a'device in the nature of an att-achment that may easily be secured'to any conventional type of phonograph to impart thereto the lcapacities aforesaid.

The herein revealed construction embodies the fundamental mechanical characteristics and functional principles disclosed and claimed in the parent application of Robert G. Brown, No. 2834, filed January 18, 1915` and in the division thereof No. 120,305, led

-September 15, 1916, as Well as the joint a plications of Robert G. Brown and John Strietelmeier, No. 114,103, filed August 10, 1916, No. 120,302, filed September 16, 1916, andNo. 131,842, filed November 17, 1916.

This construction effects various structural improvements over theaforesaid arrangements, whereby (l) certain parts are eliminated; (2) the device is rendered more compact; (3) it is less costly to make; (4') it is more completely universal in its application to various types of phonographs; (5) it is easier to adjust; and (6) it is smoother l in operation.

Other objects will be in part obvious from the annexed drawings and in part indicated in connection therewith bythe following analysis of this invention.

This inventionaccordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of so that said slot will arrangement. Fig. 8 represents the upper portionl of the post.

The tone-arm lifter embodies a pendulous member Z which has also a rotary movement; the ypendular motion operating to raise and lower the tone-arm, and the rotary motion serving to return it to its st-arting point. This member Z is conveniently in the form of a tube having its upper portion flattened to constitute anon-circular socket capable of receiving the flattened shank of an arm Y that extends into an appropriate engagement with the tone-arm of the vhonograph. This member Z is located vvlthin a hollow conical post X that rises from near one corner of a sheet-metal housingW which,

also serves as a base. The upper end of the member Z has a fit affording free play in the upper end of the post X so as to form a universal pivot therewith, but the lower end of the member Z has a fioating support whereby it may have its position shifted to give itthe pendular motion which results in raising and lowering the free end of the arm Y. This floating supportis constituted as follows:

Within the housinglV is a suitable bracket V providing a shelf or platform provided with an elongated slot 1 through which extends the round lower end of the pendule Z determine its swing parts, and in thek unique relations of the and confine it properly. The ndule is members and in the relative proportioningaI moved by a bar U which at pre etermined and disposition thereof; all as more contperiods is translated so as to pull the lower pletely4 outlined herein. end of the pendule over to the other end of To enable others skilled in the art so fully the slot 1. Thls is done by a mechanism to comprehend the underlying features adapted at intervals to be connected to dethereof that they `may embody the same by rive ower from the turn-table of the phonothe numerous modificationsV in structure and grap 1, as will be described. This mecharelation contemplated by 4 this invention, nism is so constructed that, when the tonedrawings depicting apreferred form have arm reaches the end of the record groove,

part of this disclosure,

)said mechanism will be driven by the `turn-l table which will result in a translation ot the bar U to cause an uplift of the tone-arm; which 'will be held up sutliciently long 'lor it to be shifted to its starting point, whereupon it will then be gradually lowered.

The connection between the pendule Z and the tonearm or stylus, as the ease may be, of the phonograph is established through `the, agency of an arm appropriate to the style of phonograph. la ig. l shows a View tor phonograph embodying a nfiajor tonearm T pivoted at its rear end to. swing about a fixed vertical axis and having carried by the usual motor-driven turn- "1 table O. In this instance, we prefer to provide the sound-boX with a special hook N l,which may be a stamping of sheet metal d il yhaving'a recess 3 adaptedto embrace the neck of the sound-box R and having a posi tion locating holed for one of the screws of the sound-'boX. `A. lhook proper 5 is formed to engage with the hook 6 of the arm Y which is formed of a rod bent as shown and having its stem 7 flattened to prevent it from turning in the socket of the pendule Z. l

As shown by Fig. however, the arm Y" may have its hooklike end 8 bent at an angle4 with the shank` 9 so that it may directly support the tone-arm and slip sutficientl .alongvthe same to compensate 'for the lac of coincidence of the pivots of the tone-arm and liftin arm, respectively. Instead of roviding tor slippage in this manner, the'- ifting arm Amay have a telescopic construction, as shown by Fie. 6, or it may operate through an eye 10 1n the clamprin 1l, as shown by Figf 7.

he tone-armshifter causes the tone-arm to swing from the end ofthe record to its initial point and this is achieved by a horizontal swin ofthe arm Y effected by a rotation of t e pendule'Z.. This is done by a crank-arm M which is loosely journaled at one end to the pendule' and supports its weight by means of the lip 12 projecting tliierefrom. The arm M is at 13- pivoted to a ibratorL and it has a resilient lost-motion connection with the endule; this consisting of a helical spring fastened at vone end to and coiled about the pendule and having its other end extended' over the shoulder 14 of the crank-arm M so 'as to be put under ten sion'during the anticlockwise swing of said arm. This imposes a resilient or yielding turning of the pendule for the purpose oif returning the tone-arm and, since this motion is impositive, it automatically coi'i'ipensates for variations in the setting of the stop K Lacasse which detern'iines the initial position of the tone-arm. This stop consists of a metal strip bent to form an eye l5 and provided with a thumb-screw 16 for clamping'it in any predetermined position to the post X. It has an upstanding finger adapted to act as an abutment to limit the swing of the tonearin under the urging of the spring K. When the crank-arn'i swings back, the tension in the spring is relieved and the lost motion latent in the resting of the spring on the shoulder' 1x1 leaves the tone-arm free to travel unobstructedly in the groove of the record-disk,

The brake consists o'f a member .l urged by a spring I against the turntable P; said. member being normally held against such movement by a controller H in the nature ot' a cycle-counter. This brake member .l is a sheet-1netal stamping having an off-set end 17 and two side Wings 18 and 19; the upper of which provides abutments 20 and 21 which provide the two limits of setting ofthe controller H, the former 20 for con tinuous operatiom'and 21 affording a stop. The controller H is pivotally carried by the mmnber J, and it provides a slot 22 adapted to receive a stud 23 projecting from some stationary part, such as `the casing W. When the slot coincides with the stud it will be perceived that the controller H, together with the brake J, are permitted to move, thus throwing the brake into effective operation. The controller carries a pin 24 which is adapted to be brought against either the abutment 20 or the abutment 21 to deter,-

mine the position of the controller. When said pinrests against abutment 21, the slot 22 coincides with the stud 23 and this correi sponds with a stop adjustment of the device. `This controller also is provided with a numberof ratchet teeth 25 each of which represents one complete cycle of the machine; in `other words the record may be. replayed as many times as there are teeth and then autoi'natically stopped. The controller also -provides a tcothless contour 26 which represents a continuous playing. This controller H is intermittently actuated by means of a tooth 27 .projecting from the vibrator L which, by. means of a crank pin 28, derives reciprocatory motion. The shaft 29 of the controller projects through the Vcase W and carries an indicator 30 andA a thumb-screw 31 for bringing it into registry with suitable markings on the casing W for the purpose of predetermining the operation of the mechanism. The various parts are all actuated by power derived from `the turn-table of the phonograph. This is done by means of a shittable frame G which swings about a fixed pivot 32 to which is aiiixed a gear-wheel flfl. Pivotally carried by the :trame G- is a ifrictionwheel F which is adapted to be thrown against the periphery of the turn-tableso as to be rotated thereby and through a train of gears 34, 35

and 36 rotating the gear 33 to reciprocate that it may be hit by the tone-arm as soon as spring 46 to brin it completes the playing of the record. This imparts slight movement to the arm E which ultimately results in trippin` the frame .G permitting it to throw the fzii F against the turn-table. Within the cas-` ction-wheel ing is an arm D which at one end is fixed to a shaftrotatably upstandng in the fixed post38. The upper end of this shaft provides a seat for the trip lever E and a split resilient cbllar 3 9 presses the parts together suilicientlyto create some little friction. The other end 40 of the arm D bears against an extension 41from a latch C which is pivcted at 42, and near its other end provides a shoulder 43 adapted to. engage the part 44 of al lever B. This lever has an extension 45 from the end of which a spring 46 extends into connection with the latch C .thereby tending to kee these parts engaged.

This lever`B is pivote at 47 tothe frame G and it also has a third extension 48 which has a hook-like fend adapted to ride on a cam A which. is fixed to the shaft 32. As soon as the tone-arm hits the trip arm E the shoulder 43 is disengaged from the li 44 and the frame G swings under the pul of the friction-wheel F against the turn-tab e. Thereupon, the cam A begins to rotate and this swings the lever B around until the lip 44 is again engaged with the shoulder 43. During this time the tone-arm has been returned to its initial position and now the end of the extension 48 will drop down the latch 49 of the cam with the effect that the spring 46 operates to swin the lever B about 43 as a fulcrum and withdraw the-friction wheel F. This process repeats as long as the' brake does not stop the turn-table. I

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the ist of this invention that others can by app? ing current knowledgereadily adapt` it fibr various applications without omitting certain features that, from the -standpoint of the prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention,I and therefore such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalency :of the following claims.

Having thus revealed this invention, we

claim as new and desire to secure the fol lowing combinations of steps and elements,

or equivalents thereof, by Letters Patent of -the United States:

'1. A phonograph repeater combining an arm pivotedto swing about an upstanding axis and connected to shift the tone-arm of a conventional phonograph; mechanism adapted to provide power for swinging said arm; a stop for said arm 5 and a resilient element adapted to transmit motion to said arm, whereby it may yield to compensate for the limit of movement caused by said j stop.

2. A phonograph repeater combining a post adapted to be tilted and to be rotated;

lpositive, means for. tilting said post; im-

positive means for rotating said post; and mechanism for actuating said two means.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our naines, as attested by the two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN E. STRIETELMEIER. Witnesses:

Louis J. Dormi, WALTER C. TAYLOR. 

